1998 Annual Report
Other Crimes
Under the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, any actual crime not recorded as a Part I Crime is a Part II Crime. The relative infrequency of patterns and trends among these crimes discourages detailed analysis.
Disorderly Conduct 89 in 1996 l 80 in 1997 l 58 in 1998
Most of these incidents occur on Friday and Saturday nights. Examples include bar and restaurant altercations, domestic disputes, arguments between the homeless, and conflicts with police officers that escalate into shouting, profanity, and threats.
Police make arrests for this crime when a subject disrupts the peace enough to pose a danger. Many disorderly person situations are assaults in the making, halted through the quick intervention of a police officer.
Extortion & Blackmail 1 in 1996 l 3 in 1997 l 1 in 1998
A rare crime in Cambridge, extortion or blackmail involves an offender taking money from a victim by threatening to do something other than use violence. The single 1998 incident involved a woman who called her ex-spouse and threatened to file a false violation of a restraining order report against him if he didn't give her $200.
Harassing or Obscene Telephone Calls
296 in 1996 l 268 in 1997 l 265 in 1998
Topping the scales at over 900 in the early 1990s, the frequency of this crime has been drastically reduced thanks to innovations in telephone security, including call tracing and Caller ID. Most of what is still reported involves domestic or acquaintance situations.
Hit and Run 679 in 1996 l 611 in 1997 l 672 in 1998
A hit and run crime occurs when a driver strikes a person, another car, or someone else's property, causing damage, and leaves without identifying himself to the victim. It is the third most often reported crime in Cambridge, behind malicious destruction and larceny from motor vehicles, accounting for about seven percent of our crime total.
In 1998, 33 (or 5%) of hit and runs involved injury to persons. 175 (26%) involved damage to vehicles in motion, but the vast majority, 453 (67%) involved damage to parked cars. Miscellaneous property (such as fences or sides of buildings) accounted for the final 11 (2%).
The crime was highlighted in 1998 by two very serious incidents:
On January 18, 1998, a 47-year-old man from Brookline struck a little girl at the intersection of Broadway and Ellery Street, sending her flying through the air and causing extreme injury. The man fled the scene. Later, when captured, he claimed he had been late for an appointment and couldn't stop.
On November 25, 1998, a group of unlicensed female juveniles from Rhode Island, driving a 1986 Toyota jumped a curb at 783 Main Street, struck and killed a Lee Street man who was walking with his young daughter. The man's daughter was injured but later recovered. The driver and her passengers fled the scene but later turned themselves in.
Kidnapping and Attempted Kidnapping
10 in 1996 l 4 in 1997 l 6 in 1998
About three quarters of all kidnapping incidents involve "parental" kidnappings. Generally, the incident follows an argument between ex-spouses or ex-romantic partners, and the child is returned within a day or two. Parental or custodial kidnappings accounted for four of the six incidents in 1998.
The other 25 percent of kidnappings can occur under frightening or even tragic circumstances. Such was the case with the Jeffrey Curley kidnapping in 1997. In 1998, the two non-custodial kidnappings (both attempts) were:
On September 14, 1998, at the corner of Putnam Avenue and Brookline Street, at 7:10 p.m., a 12-year-old boy and two friends were walking on the street when a man in his 30s pulled up in a gray sedan and kept telling the boys to "come here." The boys refused, and the man eventually gave up.
On September 29, 1998, at the corner of Concord Avenue and Alpine Street, at 5:30 p.m., a white Volkswagen Jetta pulled up alongside a 13-year-old boy, and a man in his 30s said, "Hey kid, come here, come over to the car." He kept repeating himself, but the boy kept walking. The description of the suspect in this case was very different, except for age, from the suspect in the September 14 incident.
Liquor Violations 24 in 1996 l 28 in 1997 l 39 in 1998
Liquor violations generally involve drinking in public, though it can also include the sale of liquor to a minor, or the possession of liquor by a minor. As with disorderly conduct, most liquor violations arrests occur on weekends. Hot spots appear around Central Square and at various parks in the city.
Operating Under the Influence 70 in 1996 l 67 in 1997 l 60 in 1998
Attacks on all fronts have reduced this crime nationwide, but every incident still poses a deadly danger. Well over half of all O.U.I. arrests occur between midnight and 4:00 a.m., as people drive home from bars. The majority of the incidents are concentrated on the weekend.
Threats to Commit a Crime 447 in 1996 l 361 in 1997 l 390 in 1998
A self-explanatory crime that often arises in domestic disputes, arguments between acquaintances and co-workers, school fights, and in other environments. Many occur over the telephone.
Traffic Arrests 380 in 1996 l 252 in 1997 l 311 in 1998
The average traffic stop for speeding, running a red light, and related offenses, results in only a warning or citation. A number of traffic offenses, however, are arrestable crimes: driving to endanger, driving after suspension or revocation (the most common), possession of a counterfeit inspection sticker, and attaching false or counterfeit license plates are all examples. Such arrests are often made during routine traffic stops, after the police officer learns of the driver's suspension, revocation, or other circumstance.
Trespassing 97 in 1996 l 80 in 1997 l 77 in 1998
Arrests for trespassing are generally made at commercial establishments where the offender has been previously warned not to tread. Often, the same offender is arrested multiple times. 35% of trespassing arrests in 1998 were made on Massachusetts Institute of Technology property.
Weapons Violations 20 in 1996 l 7 in 1997 l 21 in 1998
Weapons violations involve the illegal possession or use of a dangerous weapon. To be classified as a "weapons violation," the use of the weapon cannot be directed at a person or property; otherwise, the incident would be recorded as an assault or a malicious destruction.
In 1998, 11 weapons violations involved guns and 10 involved other weapons. Gun violations sometimes include shots fired into the air, but weapons violations generally result from motor vehicle stops or from arrests for lesser crimes (such as disorderly person or trespassing), during which the illegal weapon is discovered by a police officer.
The 11 gun violations in 1998 was unusually high; in 1997, there were only four. The 11 reports in 1998 included six reports of gunshots fired-at Washington Elms on January 20 at 11:30 p.m., on Bishop Allen Drive on May 15 at 10:49 p.m., on Walden Street on July 3 at 10:45 p.m., on Waverly Street on July 13 at midnight, at Hoyt Field on August 15 at 11:05 p.m., and on Bishop Allen Drive on October 24 at 7:40 p.m. In none of these cases was anyone found wounded, nor was a suspect described or arrested. The other five reports were arrests for illegal possession of a handgun.
The ten non-gun weapons violations involved arrests for lesser crimes in which a weapon was found on the suspect. Such weapons included studded bracelets, brass knuckles, a stun gun, several knives, and ammunition.
One chilling report came from a Cambridge resident who reported that, in Harvard Square on November 11, an unidentified man tried to sell him three hand grenades. The suspect was never caught or identified, and it was never determined if the hand grenades were real.